Marinus 0 #26 November 28, 2011 Quote Maybe you're not old enough to remember but the USSR collapsed quite spectacularly. Russia is only one country the USSR was a union by definition. I'll quote my own reaction when I read myself back today: Quote Well, anyway, yeah that was kinda stupid of me. I really, really should rephrase that. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rushmc 23 #27 November 29, 2011 It is usually good to wait a bit on stories like the one you posted (this reply not aimed at you) I see today where a report is coming out where the US says it was lured into this More to come soon I am sure"America will never be destroyed from the outside, if we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." Abraham Lincoln Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyDekker 1,465 #28 November 29, 2011 QuoteHmm. USSR didn't do so well. Mostly due to defence spending. Sounds familiar. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rushmc 23 #29 November 29, 2011 QuoteQuoteHmm. USSR didn't do so well. Mostly due to defence spending. Sounds familiar. No"America will never be destroyed from the outside, if we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." Abraham Lincoln Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyDekker 1,465 #30 November 29, 2011 A well supported rebuttal, American style. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mnealtx 0 #31 November 29, 2011 QuoteA well supported rebuttal, American style. You *might* have had a point if the '08 crash had been due to defense spending. Since it wasn't... lame attempt to equate, Euro-lib style.Mike I love you, Shannon and Jim. POPS 9708 , SCR 14706 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BoogeyMan 0 #32 November 29, 2011 Quote LMAO Priceless, once again the USAF fucks up and bombs and kills its allies and you wonder why they're pissed? Who says it was a mistake? A mistake in the same manner of the recent explosion at the Iranian ammo dump/ rocket fuel plant? The incident is still being "investigated". Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyDekker 1,465 #33 November 29, 2011 QuoteYou *might* have had a point if the '08 crash had been due to defense spending. I wasn't equating it to the '08 crash. I am equating it to what will happen in the next couple of years. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rushmc 23 #34 November 29, 2011 QuoteQuoteYou *might* have had a point if the '08 crash had been due to defense spending. I wasn't equating it to the '08 crash. I am equating it to what will happen in the next couple of years. And you will still be wrong"America will never be destroyed from the outside, if we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." Abraham Lincoln Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #35 November 29, 2011 QuoteQuoteYou *might* have had a point if the '08 crash had been due to defense spending. I wasn't equating it to the '08 crash. I am equating it to what will happen in the next couple of years. We could eliminate nearly all discretionary defense spending (VA benefits are not really optional) and it would still only cut the deficit by less than half. No doubt it is a significant expense, but it hasn't changed much in the past 30 years. As much as you'd like to make it to be the culprit, it just isn't. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rehmwa 2 #36 November 29, 2011 QuoteWe could eliminate nearly all discretionary defense spending ---- it would still only cut the deficit by less than half. I'm good with half the deficit. Then follow it up with cuts SS, Medicaire/aide cuts and across the board cuts on every single other program and we're got what I call - "a good start" ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyDekker 1,465 #37 November 29, 2011 Quoteit hasn't changed much in the past 30 years. In that case it cannot be a problem. Quoteonly cut the deficit by less than half Only? Anyways, in the case of the USSR. They bankrupted themselves trying to keep up with Joneses on a world stage. The US is bound to do the same, though it more likely will be titled keeping up with the Lees. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #38 November 29, 2011 QuoteQuoteWe could eliminate nearly all discretionary defense spending ---- it would still only cut the deficit by less than half. I'm good with half the deficit. Then follow it up with cuts SS, Medicaire/aide cuts and across the board cuts on every single other program and we're got what I call - "a good start" the problem is that we can't actually do such a thing. We'll always need some portion of our military - at least a third of that spending. And abruptly shutting down the other 2/3rds is disruptive - just look at how it went in the early 90s. This is a multi President process in a climate in which Congress can't even think past the next House term. I think we move forward by accepting that we can no longer play the supwerpower game when no one else in participating. Time to stop protecting Japan and Europe for free. We'll need to move from projecting power around the world to just protecting it here....before we're incapable of doing either. But that still has no resemblance to the fall of the USSR, a failure of communism. We had a effectively balanced budget in the late 90s with nearly the same military we have now. It was Bush's tax policy coupled with horrific spending increases, and then Obama's attempts to try to spend our way out of a terrible recession that threatens us. Not the evil "military industrial complex." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites